STEREOTACTIC RADIOSURGERY FOR BRAIN TUMORS: CLINICAL TRIAL UPDATE

摘要

Radiation therapy is playing an increasing role in the treatment of brain tumors in cats and dogs. With the advent of improved advanced imaging techniques, improvements in the accuracy of patient positioning, advances in linear accelerator equipment and the use of imaging on linear accelerators the targeting of tumors has become more precise. In combination these have allowed the advent of stereotactic radiosurgery. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a radiation therapy technique whereby a high doseof very conformal radiation is delivered to the target in a single fraction. This allows for sparing of surrounding normal tissue better than other radiotherapy techniques. While there is actually no surgery or cutting taking place with this procedure, the dose given is high enough to ablate the area treated, hence the use of the word "surgery". Stereotactic radiotherapy on the other hand is defined the same as SRS, except the treatment is fractionated into several or many fractions. Stereotactic radiosurgery most commonly refers to intracranial treatments while stereotactic body radiosurgery refers to a stereotactic radiotherapy procedure where the radiation dose is delivered outside of the head.